Can my Wide, Bulbous Nose Be Reduced in Size?

I read your concerns and reviewed the photos you posted:

You may achieve narrowing of your tip, but I do not think you could achieve the result in the photo demonstrating your desired outcome. The person in the photo showing your desired outcome appears to have thinner skin than you. You appear to have thick skin which will limit the amount of definition you might see after surgery.

You should consult several rhinoplasty specialists to see what you could achieve after well-performed nose job surgery.

I hope this is helpful for you.

Regards from NJ.

Absolutely! Having a widened nasal tip region is a very common complaint of patients seeking rhinoplasty. Fortunately, with today’s techniques, the nose can be refined in a natural fashion while preserving structure as well as breathing. Techniques to narrow the nose include conservative removal of cartilage and suturing of cartilages to provide further narrowing. With today’s techniques, consistent and safe results can be performed that provide refinement of the wide bulbous nose. 

A wide or bulbous nose or nasal tip can be treated very successfully with rhinoplasty.   Decreasing the domal angle, the interdomal distance and flattening the lateral crura are the most common things that need to be achieved by the surgeon to affect the width and bulbosity of the nasal tip.  This can be achieved by removing small portions of tip cartilage, suturing techniques and/or placing cartilage grafts .  In addition, thinning of the nasal tip skin and/or nostrils can help improve the appearance of a wide nose.   The primary difference between your nose and the nose that you would like to have seems to be the thickness of the nasal skin and the location/configuration of the nasal domes.   Both of these issues can be addressed with rhinoplasty.  In the end, you should not expect to have the same nose as the picture but a more well defined, smaller appearing nasal tip that fits your face.    Of course, it is difficult to give you advice with a single picture.  There is no substitute for an in person consultation with an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon. 

Rhinoplasty is the right surgery to help improve your widw bulbous tip.In your case, I would suggest the open technique since it would allow for better visualization of the cartilages. Your cartilages are very large and will need to be reduced and trimmed. The tip should always be viewed together with the rest of the nose. So you may need additional work on the bridge, nostrils or the width of the nose as well. These might all contribute to getting your nose to have the best overall proportion. The only thing I would caution you about is that your skin appears thick. This will limit how much definition you will be able to see in the tip of your nose after your rhinoplasty. I don't think that you will be able to get a very sculpted appearance so set yourself some realistic goals. Other than that you should get a greta result. Go for it. Good luck.

A wide bulbous nose can definitely be narrowed.  This is a frequently requested change done in rhinoplasty and can be done in a way that keeps your nose in harmony with the rest of your facial and ethnic features.

A bulbous nasal tip can be narrowed, but the amount of narrowing and tip refinement can be limited to the skin thickness.  The surgical approach to address tip refinement can vary depending on the thickness of the nasal tip skin.  Narrowing a nose with thin skin and strong nasal tip cartilages is much different than a nose with thick nasal tip skin and weak nasal tip cartilages.  I would recommend consulting with a rhinoplasty surgeon who does computer imaging and reviews your particular nasal structure.

Dear IssyL-

Based on your current photo, and your desired look "after" photo, it should be possible to make your nose more narrow. 

The tip of your nose can be made more narrow.  This is usually done by altering the shape and width of the cartilage of your nose in the tip.

The base of your nose can be made more narrow by bring the external edges of your nose in.  This is usually done by removing small skin wedges from your nose right where it attaches to your cheeks, so that the scar is very difficult to see.  There is also a way to place a suture underneath both edges of your nose at the edges, and have a hidden, under the skin suture, to make your nose less wide.

 

Best wishes,

Roy

Hi there. Rhinoplasty (nose reshaping surgery) to address a bulbous nasal tip is a feasible maneuver. Most likely, an “open rhinoplasty” (where the soft tissues are gently elevated to allow direct access to the tip cartilages) will be required. These tip cartilages are then sculpted and sutured to refine the nasal tip.If you like, please follow the link below. The article on Nasal Analysis contains many diagrams that you may find helpful. This may help guide your conversation with your surgeon.Hope this is helpful. Best wishes.

Patients often present with large bulbous tips for rhinoplasty.   Rhinoplasty can change the shape of the nose by removing/adding structural elements.   There is some skin retraction following rhinoplasty.   After all, once a bump is taken down or a tip cartilage removed, where does the extra skin go?

Often, the patient who has a big nasal tip has thick skin.   The rhinoplasty surgery does not really address this issue.   Excess skin/tip width is often able to be reduced by reducing the alar base width which is removing part of the nostril.

We still do not have the ability to decrease large excess and thickness of skin on the nose without causing severe changes to the nose.  There are surgeries to help but it is difficult to control scar formation and further thickening of the skin.

By changing the stsructure of the nose by altering its cartilaginous or bony framework will make a smaller nose, but still a thick nose.

It is very common to reduce wide, bulbous noses during rhinoplasty.  It appears that you do have relatively thick skin, which may limit the amount that the nose can be narrowed.  I would recommend a consultation with an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon.  Board Certification by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is preferred.  Good luck.

Warmest regards,

Dr. Pippin